Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-11-25
AN INCIDENT or OCEAN
IRA VEL.

CARRIE NJ. GoonELL.
AN INCIDENT OF OCEAN
IRA VEL
He never put himself too much in evi-
dence. If he made no advances to his fel-
low travellers on shipboard he did not re-
pei a casual chat with any one who talked
| with him
The waiter who had charge of his berth
had only seen a sick man in the state room,
and there was reason for it, for the wealth
er at the start had been bad. Monsieur
was not exacting, and so the waiter was
glad when monsieur got quite well again
Indeed, it was very remarkable recovery
! for when monsieur was dressed and came
on deck, he seemed to have grown ten, fif-
| teen years younger. No one, indeed, had
| taken any particular notice of the gentle
man. 1t had been cold and raw in Liver
! pool, and heavy coats and shawls were in
demand, so monsieur had worn thick
muffier around his neck, which had been
| drawn up to his eyes, and he had coughed
a great deal. When he had crawled up
the gang plank with "a feeble, halting step,
the surgeon, who was sharp enough. had
said to himself, There's a passenger who
is going 10 be a nuisance, calling me up at
]
| ger never did disturb the surgeon, and so
was forgotten.
Monsieur might have found companions
among the foreign element on board, but
/ he did not seem to banker after such ac-
quaintanceship. 1t was apparent that he
| spoke a number of languages, and all fair
ly well. There was Miss McBiddie, of Den
yer, who tried her Italian on him, and he
bore it without wincing Miss McBiddie's
acquaintanceship had commenced when
monsieur had very adroitly prevented all
oil cruet from pouring its contents over her
dress. He was quietly, not obtrusvely,
polite to the lady. She had left a rug in
the cabin among the fifty other rugs and he
had selected hers and brought it on deck
for her at the precise time when she wanted
it. Now that showed observation on his
part, to know the exact shade and color of
her wrap, and she was gratified by the at
tention Then there came a flying scud,
bucketful of water, aboard, and monsieur
had interposed his coat just in time, and
saved the lady from a wetting. 1t was
natural that they should talk. Evidently
he was a man who, though he had travelled
much had never yet been in the United
States in fact, he told her that at the
second day of their acquaintance. He
wanted information did the lady know
anything about the West p Lots" was
Miss McBiddie's terse reply; the West is
my home
He had some idea of going to Montana,
or to California, but he was so ignorant of
the lay of the land Europeans were so
stupid, and their conceptions of America
so false. Perhaps he might ask some ques-
ton lady could not exactly reply to, as
TO the possibilities of acquiring land in
America, and its value Then Miss Nc
Biddie confessed her want of definite in
formation.
But papa is the man for you. Owns
good deal of land in all the territories, and
has got it all down fine replied the lady.
and that led up to an introduction to Col.
McBiddie.
Certainly we could fix you up right
away. Want quiet and rest, and the finest
climate in the world, and bit of hunting
Know Just the spot There is a ranch that
would suit you to a dot Come on to Den
yer, where live, and l should be proud
to show you round. Just ask anybody for
Col McBiddie in Denver, and you will have
no trouble in spotting me-"
That is about the way the intimacy be-
gan.
1T would be so nice, papa, to have a
man like that in Denver" And that night
Almeria McBiddie made many clever plans
His manners are very elegant" she
thought. He hasn't said he was a prince
or a baron but what nice foot he has
and such well-kept hand and nervous
fingers, that look as if they would take a
strong grip of anything they held. There
is great deal of latent energy in the man.
Yes, monsieur Alexis pleases me more than
any one l have met on this trip and
strange, is it not, that / should find him
just as | am going home He told me half
of his story today, when papa was absent.
On account of political opinions of a liber-
al character he was forced to leave Poland.
His lands were Just across the Russian
border" And then Miss McBiddie went to
sleep and dreamed of Thaddeus of War
saw.
Colonel McBiddie had, however, asked
some leading questions of monsieur. You
are not a Nihilist :"
"Oh, dear me, no. l am very thankful
that some ancestors of mine made matters
comparatively easy for me, their indolent
successor. If they acquired poor castle
and some land by means which might not
be considered quite legitimate to-day, am
content to let things remain as they are
only what might have been right or might
in the past will hardly do for today, diff
fered with the governor of my province,
and took my precautions. fled, but had |
for some years before taken my precau- |
tions-and you cannot blame me- You do |
not hold me in the wrong, colonel y
"Oh. not at all
at might have been an act of cowardce |
to leave, but still it was a sacrifice for |
heretofore have led a careless life, with |
little care of the morrow. Three years ago |
l sent such available means as | had to my |
bankers in Paris and London, and left be- |
l. 1t 1 1a,,I
and here / am comparatively a poor man,
with only money enough to buy some small |
bit of land-ranch is what you call it-and |
live on for a few years until l grow up |
with my adopted country. A new exist |
ence may-I do not say it will-give me |
back that energy for which my own people |
in the far past were famous"
The colonel listened approvingly, Then |
opening his heart, Monsieur Alexis said that |
it might be presumptuOus on his part to .
throw himself at the mercy of his newly |
made friends, but would the colonel allow .
him TO accompany him and Miss McBiddie |
TO Denver Even more than that, he had .
good deal of money about his person, and |
it was risk TO carry it around, and the .
colonel might arrange so as TO have it sent /
TO Denver.
The colonel was taken quite aback, Such .
unlimited confidence he hardly expected
Then the colonel consulted Almeria, and .
she blushed and seemed TO be in doubt.
"Would it not compromise me 2" she in
quired,
stuff and nonsense % said the colonel
"Almery, there is ranch on Powder
Creek had to take it last year-what
would Just fit the case, / don't commit
myself noways, until l see how he pans
out"
"Oh, papa that's one of your horrid
business terms. | am sure that that long
railroad travel is a thing | dread, and you
going To sleep most of the time, and pass
ing hours on the smoking car, and nobody
TO talk to.
"Well, then, guess we can fix it any
ways, if We take trip together, l will al
ways be within call It's good ranch, Al
merry, and worth all the money | ask for it,
and if he shows up well, I'll act square by